Need a Website? Things you need to know first...
Initial Costs
Ongoing Costs
How People Find Your Website
Possibilities For Your Website
With every website there is one initial cost of designing and building the website. Unless there are ongoing changes to the website, this is a one-off fee which varies depending on the skills and experience of the design firm.
Every website has two ongoing costs. These two costs are annual fees for the registration of a domain name (www.name.com) and for hosting space (where the website is stored online). The cost of these two depend on the size and functionality of the website.
Just as important as the website itself, is how people will be able to get to your website. There are four ways that the public can go to your website
1) The public can see your website on stickers, business cards and print advertisement and then type in your website address to go directly to your website.
2) The public can search for your product/service on Search Engines (such as Google and Yahoo). For your website to appear in the results of search engines, there must be intensive efforts on optimising your website for search engines. Many firms charge thousands of dollars extra to perform this service.
3) The public can find your website on Search Directories (such as YellowPages.com or the sponsored links at Google). These listings are paid by the website owner to the company such as Google or Yellow Pages. Listings can be paid as a annual fees or "pay per click" where you only pay for the clicks to your website.
4) The public can find your website by having a link to your website on a friend's or associate's website.
Possibilities For Your Website
Many people do not know some of the possibilities for websites.
> Content Management Systems: A simple system that allows you to change the text and photos on your website through a easy-to-use form.
> Product Database: A system that allows you to change, add or delete items from your website.
> SMS: Your website can send SMS to your or your staff when clients are interested. You can also allow users to send SMS messages to people they know.
> Dynamic Websites: Websites that change depending on the user and allow your users to add and change content.
> Client Database: A database that allows you to manage and track clients for marketing purposes, invoicing, mass emails and mail outs.
> Lead Management Systems: A database that allows you to manage and track client leads.
> Instant Chat: If you or a member of your organisation is on the internet daily, your clients can chat (using text) on the website, which gives your clients immediate feedback and is powerful for converting leads.
> Messaging Systems: Systems that allow members of a organisation to communicate, work on and track projects on line.